inactivated vaccine

vaccine

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Last updated

July 16, 2026

Quick Summary

An inactivated vaccine, also known as a "killed" vaccine, contains a virus or bacterium that has been inactivated, typically by chemicals, rendering it non-infectious. This type of vaccine is used in active immunization, where it stimulates the immune system to produce antibodies and lymphocytes against the specific organism or toxin without causing disease.12

"Killed" vaccines are used for diseases such as typhoid, pertussis, plague, and influenza. They are a safe method of immunization because the microbes are dead and cannot multiply in the body, thus preventing the full disease while still eliciting a protective immune response.23

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vaccine
Vaccine types
Inactivated vaccines are those that contain organisms that have been killed or inactivated with heat or chemicals. Inactivated vaccines elicit an immune response, but the response often is less complete than with attenuated vaccines. Because inactivated vaccines are not as effective at fighting infection as…
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Inactivated vaccines are those that contain organisms that have been killed or inactivated with heat or chemicals. Inactivated vaccines elicit an immune response, but the response often is less complete than with attenuated vaccines. Because inactivated vaccines are not as effective at fighting infection as…
Read More